Tipu Murder: Arrest warrant issued against Anis, 3 others

A Dhaka court yesterday once again issued non-bailable arrest warrants for four prosecution witnesses, including a brother of the army chief Gen Aziz Ahmed, for their failure to appear before it in a case filed over the murder of Sayeed Ahmed Tipu.

Tipu, another brother of Gen Aziz, was murdered in the capital 22 years ago.

The four absentee witnesses are Anis Ahmed, brother of the army chief, Md Kamrul, Md Alauddin, and Md Nizam Uddin.

The tribunal set April 1 for the next hearing in the case.

The same court on February 18 had issued arrest warrants for the four witnesses for their failure to comply with multiple court orders to appear before it.

The court had also issued a letter that day, asking the officer-in-charge of Badda Police Station to produce the four before it.

Police did not produced them before the court. They did not file any petition in this regard either, court sources said yesterday.

Contacted, OC Md Parvez Islam of the police station said, "Police are yet to get any court summon on taking the witnesses to the court."

Tipu was shot dead around 7:30pm on March 13, 1999, on Airport Road in  Khilkhet area when he was in a car. Later, Gen Aziz filed a murder case with the police station.

The CID pressed charges against six accused, including top listed criminals Sanjidul Islam Imon, Mohammad Islam Munna, Shamsur Rahman Mona, Anisur Rahman Zaved, Tarique Saif Mamun, and Sagor Hossain Osman, on July 22, 2001.

Court framed charges against the six on December 10, 2003.

Till May 22, 2011, 32 prosecution witnesses, including complainant Gen Aziz, out of 41 prosecution witnesses testified.

During yesterday's hearing, Imon was present in the court. Mona and Mamun were absent, Osman died during trial, while Munna and Zaved are on the run.

"We are trying our best to produce the witnesses before the court so that the case is disposed of as early as possible," Anwer Shahadat Shawn, special public prosecutor, told The Daily Star.

"Most of the remaining witnesses are also not appearing before the court due over security concerns as the accused are top listed criminals," he added.